Crumpled Roses
by Rainwave
Summary: Vash comes back with his twin brother with him, Knives, and life just gets a heckuva lot more interesting...[detailed summary inside
1. Crumpled Roses

**Crumpled Roses**

****

By: Artificial-Eternity

**Some Notes Before We Begin:**  First off, the **disclaimer**.  I do not own Trigun or the characters OF Trigun [Meryl Stryfe, Millie Thompson, Vash the Stampede, Wolfwood, etc...] however I do own the plot and both characters "Rapture" and "Sanguine" [real names will be later revealed...don't want to spoil the story before it has begun!]

Oh, and by the way.  This story may include **tons** of spoilers.  If you **do not want** some of the later episodes to be spoiled, do not go on.  You have been warned.

**In-Depth Summary:**  Vash, the wanted outlaw of the planet, had finally completed what he had thought was Rem's last wish before her death.  Tired, bandaged, Vash carries Knives across the desert to the town where he had left Meryl and Millie waiting patiently for him.  Back at the town, Meryl and Millie get two new members on their team to monitor Vash the Stampede.  The lovable traveling group grows even more crazy and complicating before, especially with Knives in the mixture.  But under the blanket of humor and laughs, there are deep feelings that are never said between each of them.  They must all find the strength and the determination to face the future in union of the ones their love...with the help of Knives [yes Knives!!!]

Pairs:

Vash x Meryl

Millie x Wolfwood

Knives x my own character

LET THE INSANITY BEGIN!!!!


	2. Prelude: Offered Renewel

_Prelude: _

_Offered Renewal_

            The duel suns shone in the sky, unwavered, unchanged by the events that had taken place; their potent heat still scorching the desert star beneath them.  Leaving behind the beautiful oasis Knives had cultivated from the dying earth was both hard and easy to do.  To Vash, seeing the oasis had brought relief to his worrisome assumptions of his brother.  Vash had always assumed - _knew - _that Knives' relentless efforts were always consumed by the idea of the destruction of humanity.  He never knew that a part of him - a very deep, DEEP, hidden part of him - did hold the ability to nurture life.  Even if it was plant life, the exuberant flora and fauna did reflect on Knives careful care.  He knew that the oasis would soon wither and die without its loving creator, but once Knives was mentally stable Vash promised the little greeneries that he'd return him as soon as possible.  

            The utopian oasis had been long left behind now.  Or that Vash had hoped so.  He had confirmed so by turning back every once in a while, watching the fading green dot disintegrate into the distance.  When the small speck merged into the horizon Vash turned his head straight forward; never looking back again. The fateful showdown between he and his twin brother had passed.  Though the rich miniature forest was indeed beautiful, he never wanted to go back to it again.  He had finally buried his past there. Buried in Knives' paradise, for good.  There was no need to look into the past anymore.  All there was now, was the future.  He smiled at the thought of what Rem would think.

            Vash's laborious breath caused his chest to drastically expand outward and shrink inward.  With each step he took Vash could feel the penetrating sunbeams slowly cook him.  It's fearsome heat waves never wavering in its intensity.  What even made this situation worse was that he was still garbed in his _black body suite_.  This made his body temperature 50 more degrees than it should of been.  Droplets of salty sweat tumbled down his slightly pink face. His once glorified erect spikes were beginning to wilt with sweat.  His posture had become one of a proud victor to of a thirsty, delirious old man.  His sea-green eyes strained against the potent reflection of the sands to spot any sign of life within the distance.  Nothing.  Nothing at all.  He had been walking in this barren hell for a good four hours and nothing had come up.

            _I'm sure I had gone this way_, Vash comforted himself.  _I'm SURE I've passed that rock before!_

            Vash's brow furrowed.  Deep within his complex yet simple mind, he challenged his memory against his navigational skills.  Even if he was an expert nomad, he could recall the umpteen times he had finally figured out he had been going in circles throughout this endless desert.  

            His left eyebrow arched as he passed by another rock.  His suspicions rising about where he was going.  He began to wonder worrisomely if he had passed that same rock thirty minutes ago.  He looked at the rock hard, as if blaming the earth itself that it began to etch mistrust in his own intuition.  His eyes soon trailed off the submerged earth and onto the rolling dunes of glittering sands.  The sands that seemed to stretch out to forever.  But Vash knew there was an end to the deserts.  And what lay in those towns were beautiful women, water, kids, and best of all, ...._pastries._  Doughnuts, preferably.

            The misunderstood outlaw trudged on using these tantalizing thoughts as a carrot to the lost bunny.  Now, finally that he had buried his past and fulfilled Rem's wish - or what he _thought_ what was Rem's wish - he had his future all out in front of him.  Things would change in his life.  At least for the better, he hoped.

            Although that 60 billion double dollars on his head would take some miracle to disappear.  Let alone self-employed assassins that still wanted him dead for what he did to July.  With those factors still hanging around as his reputation that meant he'd still have trouble following him everywhere he would wander.  Usually the trouble he would encounter would transform into endless adventures and everything but a quiet and stable life.  Most of those "adventures" included destruction of property, which meant that those Insurance girls would still stalk and monitor him day and night.  His face began to lighten up a bit, despite the torturing heat.  There was also that little black cat that appeared everywhere; he doubted that cat would go away either. Yeah, that would stay too.  He grinned idiotically; so maybe life wouldn't change after all.

            _And here I thought everything would go away once I stopped Knives_, Vash mused.

            His face-hardened to a more solemn expression.  Even if his own future didn't change, Vash knew he had to focus on Knives' future before he'd be enticed with insanity again.  He looked up at the sky with serene, glittering eyes and a smile just itching to come out again.

            _Rem_, he called out to her in his thoughts.  _Rem, I've finally stopped Knives._

He looked back down and narrowed his eyes at a certain familiar object.  The rock stood there, protruding the sand.  Vash swore under his breath, wondering if it could have been the same rock.  He passed by it; glaring at it with an evil eye before glancing back forward.  If he passed another rock again, he'd go crazy.

            "Damn man," Vash groaned, earnestly attempting to keep his balance, "I didn't know you were so _heavy_."

            Vash gingerly put Knives down on the ground but still holding him up with his arms.  "Did you gain some weight while I was busy with the humans?"  Vash laughed loudly, even if it was just himself laughing at his own joke.  

            "When we get to town, you better behave yourself," Vash threatened Knives, seemingly to forget that he was unconscious while all of this was said.  Vash rubbed his sore left shoulder and he winced a little.  His right eye closed and the bottom right of his mouth was agape a little.  He still was extremely tender from his earlier crusade against Knives.  When his strong fingers paused their massage, he glanced at his brother to the side of him.  The chapped edges of his lips began to crack into yet another kindly smile.  

            Even if Knives was unconscious, it was nice to be this close to his brother once again.  It had been so long since he could feel a twin connection with his long-lost kin.  The last time they had ever a brotherly bond was when Rem was still alive.  Even so, Vash knew his brother loved him dearly and desperately.  He was the only thing that Knives could find himself to forgive, he was the only thing that Knives was willing to build his paradise with, and he was the only thing that Knives could ever find himself living with.  Even though his cold demeanor said different.  Vash stared hard at his brother's fair face; his own face only drained of lively color.  Vash held him tightly, feeling the brother in him swell with protection and affection for him.  He was going to buy Knives a new life.  A new life he couldn't be able create himself.

            "Well, buddy," Vash's smile was still placidly on his face, "it's time we get going."  With a deep breath, Vash heaved the homicidal plant's body on his other shoulder.  Pivoting on his heels, he balanced himself with the weight.  Vash's smile still hadn't vanished, and when he looked up to the sky once again, he began to whistle an old song.  A song that brought him comfort, a song that brought him happiness.  

            A song that reminded him of life.

            Shortly after, Vash's foot caught hold of a rock beneath the sands and doing a nosedive, Vash plummeted into the sand.

            "Oh CRAAAAAAAAP!"


	3. Rekindle

_Chapter 1:_

_Rekindle_

            "Meryl?"

            Millie's bright blue eyes searched for her dark purple haired partner.  It seemed that she hadn't been in the apartment all morning.  The apartment seemed void of her, anyhow; the silence was unlike Meryl.  Usually there would be the soft tap-tap-taping of a keyboard, rustling of papers followed by lively footsteps going back and forth, or even Meryl screaming out of frustration.  But there was none of this.  Just pure silence.  Millie crossed her arms, pondering.  Curious of where she would be if she wasn't at her desk doing paper work.  She rubbed her chin contemplatively.  Meryl would have to be doing some kind of business work; her work was her life, or she at least made it seem that way.  She had no time for boyfriends, no time for family, no time for _fun_.

            The crystalline-eyed woman thumbed through thoughts of where Meryl would be if she wouldn't be in here.  Would she go out for a walk? No, she wasn't that kind of person.  If she didn't have a destination or a purpose, she wouldn't even bother to do it.  Shopping mall?  She would, if only Meryl didn't have so much work to do.  Meryl wouldn't ever abandon her duty.  Even the smallest of ones.  Bar?  ...Meryl wouldn't drink on whim.  She only sparingly did it even on celebrations.  And knowing the kind of men there, Millie knew that Meryl wouldn't go within ten feet of a bar unless Vash was in there.

            Millie concluded that the only logical place her workaholic friend would go would be the grocery store to stock up on their food supply.  She turned to the door with a cheery smile on her face.  That's where she had to be.  Of course!  

            She was about to lock the door until her eye caught the familiar black leather of Meryl's wallet.  Wait, if she went shopping, why would she leave her wallet?  Millie frowned, loosening her grip on the doorknob.  Sneakily, Millie slipped towards the wallet and picked it up cautiously.  She opened up the two flaps and leafed all the double dollars; the same amount that was there yesterday.

            Millie closed it up again and promptly put it back down.  Her right hand soon returned to her chin and encircled it a bit.  Her right golden eyebrow arched as her blue-horizon eyes looked at the ceiling, speculating on the whereabouts of the tomboy woman.  Indeed Meryl seemed to be the concealing artist today.  Millie had never noticed that finding Meryl would be sometimes as difficult as tracking Vash the Stampede.

            She shrugged her shoulders coolly; deciding that the only thing she had left was to search the rooms of this new apartment.  She didn't seem to be in town at all.  She wasn't at her usual desk typing up reports on their progress of monitoring the outlaw.  Those were the only two places Meryl would be, since she really didn't actually have much of a life to do any other things.  

            "Meryl?"  Millie's voice carried throughout the hallway.  She looked to the left and to the right of her, still not receiving an answer.  "Meryl?"

            Millie's lips pursed.  

            _This is strange,_ she mused.  _Where in the heck would that girl be?_

            She peeped her head in each spacious, open door room in the apartment.  The bathroom, the living room, the workroom, the second bathroom and the dining room were all empty.  Millie frowned and put her hands on her waist.  She wasn't going to give up.  She and Meryl  had to start looking for Vash since his disappearance four weeks ago.  She knew Vash promised he'd be back, but Vash was still _Vash_.  He was capable of being sidetracked by either a beautiful woman or a very good pastry baker.  There was no telling whether the 60 billion double dollar man would come back to them or not.

            "Meryl, you better come out right now," Millie's voice roared in the apartment. "This is no time for hide and go seek!"

            "Millie, what are you talking about?"

            Relief flushed in Millie's face as the voice floated from inside one of the rooms.  Millie rushed and peeped her head in the one of the three rooms she didn't check.  Meryl's tiny figure was by a windowsill, sitting on a stool by a telephone and a desk.  Millie's stomach ceased to churn when she saw piles and piles of paper on her desk.  So she was working after all.

            _She was busy doing work in here!  Of course!! This is her own room.  I wonder why I didn't check this first?_

            "I'm sorry, Meryl," Millie cheerfully laughed. "But I couldn't find you.  I was about to ask you when we should start our little search party for Mr. Vash.  I don't think he'll be coming anytime soon."

            Meryl's face still faced the window, her voice uncharacteristically unemotional.  "We'll give it another three days.  He promised us, Millie."  Her voice seemed to be shaking at the last part of the sentence, though it returned to its stable stocity when she opened her mouth again. "He'll come back."

            Millie stood in the doorway, unsure whether to confront Meryl against the window or to remain where she was.  Millie could sense the inner struggle of Meryl's refusal to look her in the eye. Whatever was going on in that dark amethyst head obviously was of the silly needle noggin, but there was a sense of melancholy in the atmosphere.  Inside her, the blonde could feel the mixture of commands and desires to comfort her, yet the blue haired woman's posture was too proud to be comforted.  She was not willing to accept sympathy even if it was for the good for her.  The tall woman decided not to prod in it, since Meryl was trying too hard to cautiously guard any weakness that she might portray.

            "All right," Millie said softly, her back turning. "Oh, and Meryl?"

            "Mmm?"

            "Let me know if you need anything..."  She turned slightly and glanced over her shoulder.  The corner of her crystal eyes settling on Meryl's figure.  Motionless and cold, Meryl responded back.

            "I will."

            The soft click of the door and the faint footsteps of Millie finally allowed Meryl to stop putting up a facade.  She turned away from the crystalline window, trails of tears running down her high cheekbones.  Her large beautiful eyes silted, the streams of hurt not stopping.  Where was Vash?  Where could he be?  There was a pain in her chest, a rip, whenever she thought of him.  The rip hurt so much that it made it hard to breathe.  It made it hard to do anything.  Even work.

            She hugged herself, clutching to her sides and biting her lip from crying out.  It was amazing how much the outlaw had this hold on her.  Deep in her heart, she knew that if she ever saw him again, she couldn't play this...this _act_ anymore.  She couldn't pretend that she had no feeling for him, that he was just a mere annoyance to her.  At first, he was...but that was because of the emotions he stirred within her heart whenever he came by.  The irritation of not knowing how to feel and what you were feeling, was the source of Meryl's...as Vash would like to call it..."bitchiness".  She had always guarded her emotions well.  Supervised them with a relentless efficiency.  She always mercilessly crushed any feeling that could of led to attachment, or _worse,_ dependency.

            But here she was, craving for the spiky haired womanizer like a bad morphine withdrawal.  Softly crying to herself over the man she had countlessly called "baka", "idiot", and "moron".  The man she had countlessly slapped, ridiculed, stalked viciously, and even threatened to kill.  It had been this month's loss, the longest time had had been away, when she realized that this arrogance issue would have to stop.  Letting him know that she loved him would be a fair exchange for her pride.  That's if he ever came back.  Her stomach lurched with worried thoughts of him being skewered some where far off, of running away with another woman and forgetting her, or even worse...coma or death.

            She began to choke on her tears, violently sobbing yet self-mutilating herself from anyone finding out her vulnerability.  

            Either way, dying or alive, Meryl had made up her mind.  It was time to stop playing this game. This..._act_.  Meryl's passion, soul, _heart_, belonged to Vash the Stampede whether she liked it or not.  She couldn't bear thinking that he would be gone from her life forever. Never knowing that somewhere deep down inside her, she was willing to stand by his side no matter what.  Even with his lady's man habits Meryl knew that Vash was truly a lonely man.  He longed for something that had long passed.  Something that had passed somewhere between the sand grains of a wasteland and the endless beauty of the sky.  It was weeks before Vash had departed to his destination that Meryl noticed Vash looking at her differently.  His smile grew gentler somehow.  It was after her speech to a man that life was not his to take, and he was no judge to take any life, that started Vash's odd affection.

            Either way.  She liked it.

            Even if she fought it, she knew, she _loved_ it.

            "Vash..." she softly whispered to herself as crystal tears crept down her cheeks. "Vash...will you come back to me?"  Her hands softly released her sides and she turned to the piles of paper on her desk.  Carefully she picked up one and brought it up to her face.  She softly read out in her mind, trying to recall memories of the needle noggin under her observations.  When he was still with them.

            _X/X/XXXX_

_            This day marks the sixth month of our mission: to follow and supervise the criminal Vash the Stampede.  The state of the outlaw of the hour seems to be content, indulging himself in some pastry specialty.  We, Meryl Stryfe and Mille Thompson, have monitored the outlaw for two hours doing this, and there seems to be no signs of any destruction as of today......._


	4. Reunion

_Chapter 2:_

_Reunion_

            "Meryl?" Millie called out from the other room.  Meryl's right eye lazily opened halfway, only to find Millie standing in the doorway.  "Meryl.  Come on.  Get up!  There's some news about the Bernadelli Insurance Company.  You wouldn't believe it!"

            "Uuunngh," Meryl groaned for a reply.  She closed her eye again and tossed back in the bed.  She had been crying all night and her face and eyes were swollen.  On top of that, she didn't feel like a million bucks at the moment.  She had yet another dream about her first meetings with Vash.

            "Mer-ryl!  Come on now, you're beginning to make sulking a habit for you!"

            "I don't feel good," Meryl dryly responded from the bed.

            "Suit yourself," Millie said, walking back into the main room.  The footsteps grew faint, and Meryl could hear Millie's voice resume talking.  She was on the telephone.

            "I am sorry sir, but Ms. Stryfe isn't well enough to talk yet."  There was a pause. "Oh? Well, she just came down with the flu, that's all."  Meryl could feel her insides swell with appreciation for friendship.  

            "Sure.  Of course.  I will inform her right away.  When are they coming?"

            _They?  They who?_

            "Today?"  There was another long pause.

            _Someone is coming today?_

            "Yes.  Yes, sir.  I will." Another bit of silence. "Yes.  Thank you, sir.  From both Thompson and Stryfe.  Have a nice day!" And then there was a loud thunk of the receiver.

            _Got.  To.  Get.  Up._

            Meryl stretched her sore limbs and rubbed her twice-sore eyes.  What was going on?  Who was coming?  She scrambled to sit upright in her bed.  Slowly and painfully she was finally able to succeed.  She rubbed her eyes again as if trying to cover up the swelling.  

            _Come on, Stryfe, get up, get up, get up!_

            She literally threw herself out of bed and hit the cold hard floor. "ARGH!"  For a brief moment, her body was numb.  Then began her nerves began to sing of pain, and she jolted upward. "OWWW! Damn it!"  She rubbed her head and her shoulders, a little angry for herself for the irrational behavior.

            "Meryl?  Meryl are you okay in there?" Millie's voice echoed from the hallways.

            "Peachy keen, Millie," she said sarcastically and limped towards the closet. "I need to get myself together," she grumbled to herself. "Even if Vash is gone, I still have my job to do.  My mission.  I have people out there _depending_ on me.  I can't..."

            She grabbed her usual white dress and over coat and dragged herself to the dresser.  She opened the second to the top drawer and yanked her navy tights out, and then dragged herself back on her bed to dress herself up.

- - - -

            "Why did it take you so long, Meryl?"

            "Sorry, Millie...I was dealing with some bodily difficulties.  So what's new with the company?"

            "We're getting two new members on our surveillance team."

            "What?!"

            Millie smiled brightly and began to prepare herself for the dirty work they were about to endure.  She put a old apron on and some working gloves.  She tightened her working boots and brushed a golden strand of hair out of her face.  "We're getting two members for our mission.  Boss thought that the reason we had failed to somehow prevent Vash's disasters was that we were not capable of doing such things--"

            Meryl had taken the comment the wrong way. "WHAT?!"

            "--No, no, not that way, Meryl!  He meant that we were not people of combat.  So, out of desperation as he told me, he decided to send us two experienced fighters that may aid us to stop the disasters!"

            "And they are?"

            "Umm, well, there is just one but she is sometimes accompanied by another.  The first one is of top class combatant.  Boss said that she was the best in her line of work," she paused and looked up at the ceiling.  Her right finger at her pursed lips. "And I wonder what her line of work is, anyway?  But back to it.  The Boss said she's called 'Rapture'--"

            "'Rapture'?  A code name?"

            Millie shrugged some. "I guess so."

            "And the comrade?" Meryl questioned, both her hands cupping her mug of coffee.  She stared at the brown liquid and the threads of steam emitting from it, awaiting Millie's answer.

            "He said that her name is 'Sanguine'."

            "Another code name?" Meryl looked up to Millie, her expression solemn. "Usually secret agents use code names like that.  Does Boss even have a record of them?  What if they're just another bunch of assassins after Vash?"

            "Hmm, hadn't thought about that," Millie looked ahead of her thoughtfully, while finishing up her other shoe.

            Meryl sighed annoyed. "Oh well.  Looks like we don't really have a choice if they are or not.  When are they coming?"

            "Today.  But only Rapture is coming."  Millie stood up with a shovel in hand.

            "And where is Sanguine going to be?" Meryl finally looked up to her golden haired companion.

            "She occasionally comes.  But it seems that Boss just primarily assigned Rapture to assist us."

            "He sure has a lot of confidence in the agent," she growled, getting up herself to get a shovel.  She had already been geared up for the digging.

            "Don't be so harsh, Meryl," Millie optimistically replied.

            The dark amethyst haired woman ignored the comment. "So it's a girl, I take it?"

            "Yes.  A woman."

            "And how old is she?"

            "She's around 20."

            "Both of them?"

            "I believe so."

            Meryl grunted and threw the shovel over her shoulder.  Her eyes an annoyed dark blue.  "Huh.  He has too much confidence for such a young woman."

            Seeing this as an opportunity, Millie went on with the descriptions of the girls. "She's around 5'3", so she's as tall as you, Meryl.  She has wavy chestnut hair that I think goes down to her waist, if I remember correctly.  She wears black a lot..  Boss said that her looks might catch you off guard.  You'd never guess it was her. Oh.  And Boss said that she had green eyes.  Deep green eyes."

            Meryl looked surprised. The only person that had any link to green eyes was Vash.  He was the only person she had ever seen with that color of eyes.  "Green eyes?  Huh.  Well that's certainly rare.  I guess it would prove some interest if we did meet her."

            "And Sanguine has lighter brown hair.  Cut to her shoulders and her hair kind of wisps out from her face.  She's around 5'4" or 5'5".  She most of the time wears white.  And her eyes are an aquamarine."

            Meryl looked at Millie. "Like Vash's?"  Everything seemed to be reminding her of the outlaw.  It was beginning to get on her nerves.  Was she this obsessive with Vash, or was this pure coincidence?

            "A little lighter than Vash's."

            Meryl hummed. "...Interesting.  Well, I guess we'll have to keep a look out for a girl of that description.  I just hope she's as nice as you anticipate, Millie.  Usually warriors aren't..." Meryl walked out the door with the shovel in hand and with her head up high.

            Millie laughed complaisantly.  "Oh Meryl.  You know, Mr. Vash is a warrior.  And look how he turned out."


End file.
